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I just discovered the Shadows/Highlights tool and used it for a few photos. The results were positive visually, but I notice that it produces some interesting unnatural gradations in the sky when equalized. Do the photo sites reject shots when it is used? Is it "cheating?"
I use it all the time but do not usually upload...I use it lightly as it add LOTS of grain, but feel it is well worth it.
It is a powerful tool but it does bring out a lot of grain when used heavily. I usually don't upload shots that have used heavy amounts of s/h because it can look obvious. It can also become problematic when using layers - gotta be careful there...I've spent time on shots before and didn't pay attention to my layer selection and then realized it was messed up when I was done.
Overuse of the S/H tool adds halo's around the edged in the image you are adjusting. You can play with the radius tool's to make it a little less obvious. I have had success in the past uploading using this tool, but in those cases it was used very lightly.